Political commentary from the LA Times

New Obama job approval sags to tie his lowest so far as spending/debt talks stall

July 25, 2011 | 3:42
pm

Despite holding the nation's most prominent political pulpit during these high-profile, high-stakes talks over spending and the national debt, President Obama's job approval among Americans has fallen three points in three weeks to tie his lowest mark ever.

This new Gallup finding flies in the face of some Washington conventional wisdom that the Democrat is besting Republicans in the PR positioning for next year's real campaign.

A new Gallup Poll out just before the president again speaks publicly on the debt/spending theme likely to dominate the 2012 presidential camapign, finds his approval now stands at 43% as he faces a so-far united Republican front in the House under Speaker John Boehner.

Other first-term presidents have endured low job approvals and come back to win reelection.

However, now Obama's latest rating is much lower even that President Clinton's job approval in 1995 when he stood above 50% while confronting then GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich.